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Results Day Pre-Checks 2026

Prefer videos to written guidance?

The features and processes covered in this topic are also explained in our Results Day webinar series. You can watch all recordings on the 4Matrix Cloud YouTube Playlist

These checks are optional but recommended to ensure you're fully prepared for results days. In this topic:

  1. Check your MIS connection
  2. Preparing a results series to match CYPMD
  3. Course checks
  4. Subject checks
  5. Custom groups
  6. Results Embargo
  7. Useful links
Not using Arbor or Bromcom MIS?

If your school does not use Arbor or Bromcom, or you plan to import data via a spreadsheet, you can skip ahead to Course Checks

1. Check your MIS connection​

Go to Admin > Import Data and confirm that you see the MIS logo on the left side of the screen. If you do not see your MIS logo, please log a support ticket and we will help you complete the connection.

Checks step 1

2. Preparing a results series to match CYPMD​

Prepare a series ready to import your results into on results day which includes the correct students and demographics as compared to your CYPMD

  1. First, ensure your 4Matrix Cloud data is up to date for Year 11 by running an MIS extract. Do this via Admin > Import > MIS using an ‘Effective Date’ in June before your cohort was taken off roll – this will ensure your demographics are all up to date.

  2. Combine your CYPMD ‘Included’ and ‘Not Included’ files in a single spreadsheet so that all students are on a single tab.

  3. Include a ‘Course’ column of your choice and add a grade for all students in the file, except those from the ‘Not Included’ .csv (*these will be deleted after all checks have been made). If you need attendance data in your results series, you could add columns for this here.

  4. Go to Admin > Import Data and create a new series for your results. Ensure that the Series Date is set to to the day before students went off roll.

  5. When mapping, do not include the demographic columns, unless you do not have an MIS connection. You can mark these fields as 'Not Included'.

  6. Go to Admin > Series and click on the new results series to open it – then select the Pupils tab.

  7. Select Enable Edit Mode and tick all students who appeared on your CYPMD ‘Not Included’ file. Using the Bulk Actions menu, select ‘Not Included’. These students are now not included in KPIs but still visible. You can remove them entirely from all analysis tools by also selecting ‘Not Visible’ from the Bulk Actions menu. Click Save when complete.

  8. For late joiners (not shown in either of the CYPMD files), repeat step 7, selecting ‘Visible’ only if you’d like to see their results but exclude them from KPIs. Click Save.

  9. Now tick all students (select all in one go using the select box in the top row of the table) and using Bulk Actions, choose Populate fields by date and add Census date 15/01/2026.

  10. Click Save to apply all changes. This should now match the demographics to Census Day/CYPMD.

Where to check the data

Open your new series and navigate to the Press Release page. In the Pupil Demographic panel (the purple section) check that the cohort and demographic numbers match your CYPMD. You can make further checks within the KPI page by expanding each demographic row to reveal the students.

Checks step 2

3. Course checks​

Check Courses are mapped to the correct QANs, a consistent naming convention is used, and each course has a ‘Linked Timetable Subject’

  1. Go to Admin > Series and select the latest series for the current cohort.
  2. Screengrab the list of Linked Courses and pass this to your Exams Officer to confirm that all courses are present and QAN codes are correct.
Qualification Information

Please note that you can currently only add qualifications that are included in the DfE Approved Qualifications. It is not yet possible to import non-counting qualifications into 4Matrix Cloud, although this feature is now in development.

  1. Go to Admin > Courses.
  2. Select each course in turn, checking the Linked Qualification mapping and Linked Subjects.
  3. Add any missing Courses using the + New button, ensuring that you ‘link’ a timetable subject and add the relevant QAN number.
  4. For Courses that require a new QAN, click on + Link New Qual next to the course name, to add any missing QANs in addition to any already present.
  5. Check all remaining courses have Linked Subjects.

Linking Subjects is essential to ensure that the correct classes appear in ‘course’ related pages.

4. Subject checks​

Check your Subjects have a Subject Leader assigned

  1. Go to Admin > Subjects and work through the list of timetabled subjects. Check that each subject has the following, and amend if necessary:
  • One or more Subject Courses (e.g.: English may be linked to both English Language and Literature)
  • Linked classes; these should be visible if there are any timetabled classes in the current AC Year

5. Custom Groups​

Custom groups can be created in advance to help analyse the performance of any group prioritised within your school

  1. Go to Admin > Groups and filter on Group Type > Custom > Search to review existing groups.
  2. To create a new custom group, click +Add Group and follow the wizard, ensuring that you select Custom in the Type dropdown.
  3. Open each group and check the members, edit their start/end dates and add new members.
  4. You can also click on +Add Staff so that groups will appear on their landing page.
  5. Groups can be used to filter all pages within 4Matrix Cloud. These can be existing groups across multiple years or specific to a year group.

6. Results Embargo​

Embargo Guidance

A Level results are released on Wednesday 12th August 2026, and GCSE results on Wednesday 19th August 2026. Until the official release to pupils, the results must remain strictly confidential and accessible only to the Head of Centre, examinations office staff, and authorised senior teaching staff.

The embargo is lifted at 9:30am on Thursday 13th August 2026 for A Level results, and at 9:30am on Thursday 20th August 2026 for GCSE results, once pupils have received their results.

Further details of the embargo are in the JCQ Release of Results June 2026 document

We recommend setting the exam results series so that it is visible only by Admin and SLT users on 12th and 19th August (GCE and GCSE results days), and you can also create a custom Exams Embargo role - this can be managed in Admin > Roles. You can manage which roles can access each series in Admin > Series > Visibility. To create a new role:

  • Add New Role > Permissions – Give your role a name, and expand the tools list to select the pages you want to share on download day, then select Create.
  • In the new role click on Members > +Add Users. Select the required users and Assign Members to the group.

Visibility settings can also be applied to series in the Admin > Series tool. Select the applicable series and use Bulk Actions > Apply Role and select the relevant role before and after the embargo.

Checks step 6

If you require any assistance with these checks or require further advice, please contact us via the helpdesk.

  • First published: 17/07/2025
  • Last revised: 10/07/2026